Chapter 324: Elder Qian
Chapter 324: Elder Qian
Elder Qian was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he had taken the Elixir of Life to extend his lifespan, and his blood essence and spiritual power had not declined, he would have been the most powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator in Transcendence City in terms of individual strength.
Moreover, he was undoubtedly a demonic cultivator, practicing an eerie yet formidable demonic cultivation technique.
Thus, the plan to subdue Elder Qian must be well-thought-out and executed with precision.
The next evening, the Dao soldiers broke camp and pretended to leave Transcendence City. Under the cover of night, they stealthily returned and lodged in the Great Black Mountain for the night. As dawn approached, they changed into the clothes of demon hunters and disguised themselves before entering the city, secretly hiding in the houses surrounding the Qian family's residence.
The hiding places were provided by the An family.
Mo Hua also woke up early and found a secluded house. He climbed onto the roof and used his spiritual sense to observe the movements of the Qian family.
With his low cultivation level, he wouldn't be of much use in the ambush against Elder Qian.
Moreover, the task was extremely dangerous, and he wouldn't be able to reveal himself.
All he could do was sketch the formation patterns of the Qian family's mansion to facilitate Commander Yang and the others in their ambush.
At the moment, he could only watch from a distance.
Fortunately, his spiritual sense was strong, and his range of perception was far, so even though he was quite far away, he could still roughly grasp the development of the situation.
The first step of the plan was to enter the Qian family and probe Elder Qian's true strength.
The morning sun shone on the green stone streets.
The streets were deserted, with few people in sight.
Elder Yu had informed all the loose cultivators beforehand, asking them to stay indoors today.
As for himself, he arrived at the Qian family's door early and began knocking and shouting insults.
Elder Yu's curses were unpleasant to hear.
This had been a regular occurrence for many years.
Soon, there was movement within the Qian family compound, and an elder came out to argue with Elder Yu.
As the argument escalated, Elder Yu stubbornly refused to leave, making up a lie about a demon hunter's death and pinning the blame on the Qian family.
The Qian family elder thought it was true.
The Qian family had indeed been involved in such incidents, so for a moment, he didn't suspect that Elder Yu was lying.
However, the Qian family would never admit it and accused Elder Yu of slandering them.
Indeed, Elder Yu was slandering them, and he continued to hurl insults, becoming even more aggressive. He shouted that he would report the matter to the Dao Court and demand justice.
Enraged, the Qian family elder said, "Very well, then let's invite the Chief to come, and we shall get to the bottom of this!"
The Qian family went to invite the Chief.
The Chief came slowly, deliberately appearing hesitant and reluctant, advising both sides to settle the matter peacefully and avoid creating more trouble.
Elder Yu, with a flushed face, argued with the Chief, "It's easy for you to say when the deceased isn't someone from the Dao Court!"
The Chief also became angry. "What do you propose, then?"
Elder Yu said, "I want Qian Hong, that old turtle, to give me an explanation. If he can't make a decision, there's an even older turtle in the Qian family. I won't rest until they give me a satisfactory answer!"
By now, Qian Hong had no choice but to make an appearance.
After that, Elder Yu and the Chief entered the Qian family compound.
Mo Hua couldn't see much due to the formation patterns that shielded the compound, but if the plan went smoothly, Elder Yu would create a ruckus, and the Chief would fan the flames, escalating the matter until Elder Qian had no choice but to show himself. Then, they would be able to meet Elder Qian face to face.
At that moment, Elder Yu would suddenly attack, catching him off guard, and they would be able to test Elder Qian's strength. They would also find out if Elder Qian had been hiding his true power and if he had any unspeakable secrets.
Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could undertake this task.
Commander Yang was not suitable, as he led the Dao soldiers, and his presence in the Qian family would arouse suspicion.
As for Old Man An, he was out of the question as well since he had a grudge against the Qian family, who would never allow him to enter their premises.
Among them, only Elder Yu was the most suitable candidate.
Although he had conflicts with the Qian family, he frequently visited them, causing trouble and haggling over prices. He wouldn't alert the Qian family to their presence and provoke excessive caution.
Moreover, he had to go with Chief Zhou so that they could look out for each other.
Elder Qian was at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and if he suddenly lashed out and launched a fierce attack, Elder Yu might be in mortal danger.
With Chief Zhou accompanying him, there would at least be some support.
Mo Hua didn't know what happened after Elder Yu entered the Qian family compound.
About an hour later, a violent surge of spiritual power suddenly emanated from the Qian family, and even from a distance, Mo Hua could feel the impact.
At the same time, a section of the Qian family's building collapsed, sending rocks and dust flying, and the formation patterns shattered.
From afar, Mo Hua heard Elder Yu's sharp whistle, followed by his command, "Move!"
Before the words had faded, the hidden An family disciples, demon hunters, Dao Court cultivators, and Dao soldiers charged towards the Qian family compound.
The Dao soldiers led the way.
The Qian family's defensive formation patterns lit up one after another, only to be shattered by the Dao soldiers' long spears, turning into rubble and powder.
The other cultivators followed the Dao soldiers and rushed into the Qian family compound.
Thanks to Mo Hua's prior understanding of the Qian family's formation patterns, he had marked their weak points and informed Commander Yang, so this time, the Dao soldiers forcefully broke through the formations much faster.
Caught off guard, the Qian family disciples rushed out from various directions, unsheathing their swords and knives and facing off against the invading cultivators.
However, when they realized that the group of cultivators was led by the Dao soldiers, their faces paled in shock, unsure of what to do.
The Dao soldiers were the most powerful cultivation army of the Dao Court, representing its authority and majesty.
To fight against the Dao soldiers was equivalent to rebelling against the Dao Court, an offense punishable by the extermination of the entire clan!
The Qian family disciples hesitated, unsure of their next move.
Unconsciously, their gazes turned towards the center of the compound, where the spiritual power fluctuations had originated, causing the walls to crumble. That was the place where Elder Qian had been cultivating in seclusion.
As the dust settled, three cultivators emerged.
The Qian family disciples exchanged bewildered glances.
Some of the Qian family elders were shocked and horrified. "This is... Elder Qian?"
The Qian family was instantly in an uproar.
"Elder Qian?"
"How did he end up like this?"
"Why are his eyes blood-red?"
Some of the Qian family elders had a terrible suspicion, and their faces turned deathly pale.
Their Elder Qian... was actually a demonic cultivator!
Demonic cultivators were not tolerated by the Dao Court.
The atmosphere instantly became tense and hostile.
Commander Yang and Old Man An stepped forward, joining Elder Yu and Chief Zhou, the four Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounding Elder Qian.
Elder Yu coughed up blood and said, "Be careful, his cultivation technique is eerie and can corrupt your blood essence..."
He had just attempted a sneak attack, but Elder Qian had sensed it. They clashed palms, resulting in Elder Yu losing an arm and his blood essence becoming tainted by the eerie spiritual energy.
The former chief had supported Elder Yu, and although he hadn't sustained any injuries, his meridians were affected as well.
Commander Yang nodded in understanding.
Old Man An, upon seeing Elder Qian's current state, felt both shocked and furious. "I never expected that you would end up in such an inhuman state."
Elder Qian gave a cold laugh. "As long as I can pursue the Great Dao, what does it matter what I look like?"
Old Man An had no desire to engage in idle chatter. With hatred in his eyes, he said, "Qian Lao Gou, I want you to pay with your life for my An family disciples!"
Elder Qian's blood-colored eyes held a mocking gleam. "Are you going to kill me, the Elder of the Qian family, right here in the Qian family's territory?"
A tall and thin Qian family elder shouted, "We can't let them harm our Elder!"
The Qian family disciples raised their swords and knives, their eyes filled with battle intent.
Chief Zhou gave them a cold glance. "The Dao Court has decreed that Elder Qian, cultivating demonic arts and colluding with demonic cultivators, is guilty of an unforgivable crime and shall be punished according to the law!"
"Any Qian family disciple who dares to obstruct us will be killed without mercy!"
"If the Qian family is found to have been aware and continued to aid and abet, the entire clan will be executed!"
Chief Zhou's tone was stern and icy.
The Qian family disciples were filled with fear and indecision.
The tall and thin Qian family elder glared at them and shouted, "The Dao Court is not our Dao Court, and Elder Qian is our Qian family's Elder! Can't you tell the difference? This time, we must protect our Elder!"
Before he finished speaking, another elder quickly interjected, "Stop! Do you want to get our entire Qian family executed?"
"Qian Zhongli, are you going to abandon our Elder?"
Qian Zhongli said, "Elder Qian is indeed our Qian family's Elder, but the Qian family is not just the Elder's family. Are you willing to sacrifice all the cultivators in our clan?"
"You spineless coward!"
"You foolish loyalist!"
...
The two Qian family elders continued to argue and insult each other.
Some of the Qian family disciples were frightened and secretly discarded their weapons. Gradually, more and more of them put down their swords and knives.
In the blink of an eye, more than half of the Qian family disciples were unarmed.
Those who had intended to take action also changed their minds upon seeing this.
Elder Yu sneered, "Qian Lao Gou, you've lost the support of your clan."
Elder Qian shook his head and sighed. "I was right, after all. When disaster strikes, even blood relatives cannot be trusted."
Elder Yu, with his remaining arm, pointed his sword at Elder Qian. "You don't deserve to have family."
"I have a question that I haven't been able to figure out..."
Elder Qian, who seemed to be in a desperate situation, was surprisingly calm and even looked puzzled.
"Black Mountain Fortress has been operating in secrecy for over two hundred years. Whether it's killing or plundering, they've never been discovered. Those who know about Black Mountain Fortress either join them or end up dead."
"I've also kept my involvement hidden well. Apart from a handful of people, no one knew about my connection to Black Mountain Fortress, that I founded it, or that I've been raising so many demonic cultivators. Even fewer knew what I intended to do with these demonic cultivators..."
"But why?"
Elder Qian furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze turning sharp.
"Why was Black Mountain Fortress discovered so easily?"
"Why did the Dao soldiers arrive so quickly?"
"I don't even know how the information leaked."
"All I know is that the formation in the mountain fortress was tampered with."
"But who has the ability to alter the formation under the watch of four Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of demonic cultivators?"
"Who is the person that carefully uncovered my secrets?"
"Who is responsible for destroying Black Mountain Fortress, which I painstakingly built over two hundred years?"
Elder Qian looked around, his blood-red eyes gleaming with intense curiosity.
"Who is this person? I want to meet them!"
Elder Qian's aura surged.
Hidden in the distance, Mo Hua was startled by Elder Qian's words.
The person Elder Qian was talking about... seemed to be him.
Mo Hua was frightened and quickly retracted his head.
He had no desire to meet Elder Qian. In fact, he hoped to never cross paths with him—preferably with Elder Qian dead and himself alive, ensuring they would never meet...
Mo Hua thought to himself, but then a doubt arose.
Wait!
How could Elder Qian not guess that it was him?
(End of Chapter)
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